b'Build Soil Quality and Suppress Soil-Borne Pathogens to Improve YieldsThe results are in from a major industry-led study into declining potato yields launched six years ago. Heres what was revealed.BY: MARK HALSALLCANADIAN POTATO FARMERS, facing rising production costs and increased pres- Bernie Zebarth, a research scientist at AAFCs Fredericton Research and Devel-sure from global competitors, are always looking for ways to increase yields. opment Centre, who retired last May, was the science lead for the project. He says Identifying obstacles limiting potato yields is part of the answer, and was thethe study concluded better cropping systems and good agronomic practices that primary objective of a major five-year research project conducted in New Brun- both build soil quality and suppress soil-borne pathogens can be instrumental in swick, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba.improving potato yields.Project partners in the industry-led study included McCain Foods Cana- The goal was, can we figure out whats limiting yield and can we overcome it? da, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Potatoes New Brunswick, P.E.I. PotatoWe went into it thinking that it was probably a soil quality problemand we did Board, Manitoba Horticulture Productivity Enhancement Centre, University offind evidence of that, Zebarth says.Manitoba, Nova Scotias Dalhousie University, and the LInstitut national de laThe big surprise we had, though, was the soil-recherche scientifique in Quebec. borne diseases. They turned out to be far more important than we had anticipated.Recently retired AAFC research scientistBernie Zebarth. PHOTO: AAFC16 SPUDSMART.COM WINTER 2020'